this time accompanied by president bill clinton, who later presented him with a congressional gold medal. mandela stepped down as president in 1999, but he lived long enough to see america swear in its own first black president, and he was paid a visit many south africa by first lady michelle obama who brought along her daughters. nelson mandela's south africa embraced a multi-racial future and re-entered the family of nations. he leaves a legacy of freedom and proof that one life can make a difference. >> we are one country. we are one people. >> reporter: brian williams, nbc news, new york. >> we will have more on mandela's death in just a moment, but, first, some other stories developing this friday. you are watching many americans experiencing a massive weren't storm blasting its way across much of the country. take a look at oklahoma. a number of accidents there have been reported due to the recent snow accumulation. temperatures in missouri dipping so low that roads became sheets of ice, leaving drivers just like that, sliding all over the streets. nbc's meteorologist bill karens h